{"title":"Creatine","description":"\u003cp\u003eCreatine, sold here as creatine monohydrate and also known as micronised creatine or N-(aminoiminomethyl)-N-methylglycine, is a compound made in the body from the amino acids arginine, glycine and methionine and found in meat and fish. It is a food supplement, not a research compound, and it is among the most studied ingredients in sports nutrition. This page lists every creatine product stocked at Free Muscle, compared on grams of creatine per serving, servings per pack and independent batch testing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat is creatine?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAround 95 per cent of the body's creatine is held in skeletal muscle, mostly as phosphocreatine. During very short, maximal efforts such as a heavy set or a sprint, phosphocreatine donates a phosphate group to regenerate adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the immediate energy source for muscle contraction. Muscle stores are normally around 60 to 80 per cent of their maximum, and loading studies have measured muscle creatine content rising towards that maximum in participants who supplemented. That is the mechanism behind the authorised creatine claim described below.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreatine monohydrate is the form used in the overwhelming majority of published trials. Other forms, such as creatine hydrochloride, ethyl ester and buffered creatine, have been marketed as superior, but controlled comparisons have not shown an advantage over monohydrate in muscle creatine content or performance outcomes. Micronised monohydrate is the same molecule milled to a smaller particle size, which changes how it disperses in liquid, not what it does. The product we stock also contains taurine, an amino sulphonic acid found in meat and fish. Taurine has no authorised health claim in the UK or EU, so we make none for it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreatine monohydrate has been a widely used supplement since the early 1990s. It is not a medicine and is not on the WADA Prohibited List. Under the nutrition and health claims rules that now apply in Great Britain as assimilated law, one creatine claim concerns physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high intensity exercise; it is for adults performing high intensity exercise and may only be used for a food that provides a daily intake of 3 g of creatine. CREATREN's label gives 2,000 mg of creatine and taurine together per 3-capsule serving, so we do not use that claim for it. The Great Britain register lists one other authorised creatine claim, which may only be used on foods intended for adults aged over 55 who take part in regular resistance training; CREATREN is not sold on that basis, so we do not use it. A claim about creatine and cognitive function was assessed and added to the register as non-authorised in February 2025. No claim about muscle size or recovery is authorised, and this page does not make one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat the published research reports\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMuscle creatine loading (1996).\u003c\/strong\u003e In 31 men, muscle total creatine measured by biopsy rose by around 20 per cent after six days on a high-intake loading protocol, and a lower intake of 3 g per day reached the same muscle content after about 28 days. After supplementation stopped, muscle creatine declined back to baseline over roughly 30 days. Hultman E, et al. Muscle creatine loading in men. J Appl Physiol (1985). 1996;81(1):232-237. PMID: 8828669.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMeta-analysis of body composition and performance (2003).\u003c\/strong\u003e Pooling 100 placebo-controlled, blinded human studies reported in 96 papers, the analysis found that creatine supplementation produced small but statistically significant improvements in performance on high intensity tasks lasting under 30 seconds, particularly upper-body and laboratory-based tasks. Effects on running and swimming performance were not significant, and the changes in body mass that were also recorded include water held within muscle. Branch JD. Effect of creatine supplementation on body composition and performance: a meta-analysis. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2003;13(2):198-226. PMID: 12945830.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eInternational Society of Sports Nutrition position stand (2017).\u003c\/strong\u003e This review summarised the literature on creatine monohydrate in exercise and identified performance in high intensity exercise as the best supported outcome. It described weight gain as the only side effect consistently reported in the literature, and noted that early loading studies recorded short-term fluid retention of about 0.5 to 1.0 litre, roughly in proportion to the weight gained. Kreider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. PMID: 28615996.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHair and androgen measures (2025).\u003c\/strong\u003e In a 12-week randomised, placebo-controlled trial, 45 resistance-trained men aged 18 to 40 were assigned to creatine or placebo, and 38 completed it. The groups did not differ in DHT, the DHT-to-testosterone ratio, hair density, follicle count or hair thickness. The trial was short and limited to young trained men, and three authors declared advisory, funding or consulting links with supplement companies, including creatine brands. Lak M, et al. Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2025;22(sup1):2495229. PMID: 40265319.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese are summaries of what the studies measured in their participants. We make no health claim for the product on this page.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eBrands of creatine we stock\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFree Muscle CREATREN, creatine monohydrate with taurine, 90 capsules.\u003c\/strong\u003e Our own brand, creatine monohydrate with taurine in capsules: 90 per pot, with a labelled serving of 3 capsules giving 2,000 mg. Every Free Muscle batch is assayed by Janoshik Analytical, an independent laboratory, and the certificate for the batch you receive is available by email on request. \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/products\/creatren\"\u003eView CREATREN capsules\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt present this is the only creatine product we stock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHow to compare them\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCompare creatine products on grams of creatine per serving and servings per pack, then divide the price by total grams of creatine for a cost per gram. Ignore the headline pack weight, since flavourings, sweeteners and fillers add weight without adding creatine, and ignore claims for novel forms unless they are backed by a controlled comparison against monohydrate. Check that the label states the form of creatine and the amount per serving in grams, and check the batch certificate for identity and purity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eBatch testing and certificates of analysis\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA certificate of analysis (COA) reports what an independent laboratory found when it tested a sample from a specific batch: identity, confirming that the powder is creatine monohydrate, and purity, the proportion of the sample that is creatine. Check whether a result is expressed as creatine or as creatine monohydrate: creatine makes up 87.9 per cent of creatine monohydrate by mass, so a pure sample reported as creatine reads about 88 per cent, which is not a shortfall. The \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/products\/creatren\"\u003eCREATREN product page\u003c\/a\u003e walks through its certificate field by field. Every Free Muscle batch is tested by Janoshik Analytical, which we neither own nor control. To request the certificate for your pack, email us with the batch number printed on it and we will send it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA generic PDF with no batch number, no date or no named laboratory is not a batch certificate. For third-party brands we show a certificate only where the manufacturer supplies one for the batch we hold. See \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/pages\/lab-tests\"\u003eour lab testing page\u003c\/a\u003e for how to read one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere to buy creatine capsules in the UK: how to check a supplier\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhichever shop you buy creatine capsules from, check these five points before you order:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA complete label.\u003c\/strong\u003e The label should name every ingredient and state the amount per serving, the serving size in capsules and the number of capsules in the pack. CREATREN: creatine monohydrate and taurine, 90 capsules per pot; the label gives 2,000 mg of the two together per 3-capsule serving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA batch number and a certificate for that batch.\u003c\/strong\u003e The pack should carry a batch number, and the seller should be able to show a certificate of analysis for that batch from a named laboratory. Every Free Muscle-brand batch is assayed by Janoshik Analytical, and we send the certificate for your batch on request.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe price per capsule or per serving.\u003c\/strong\u003e Divide the price by the number of capsules or servings, so that packs of different sizes can be compared. At the price on 16 October 2026, CREATREN is £39.99 for 90 capsules: about £0.44 per capsule, or £1.33 per 3-capsule serving.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePrices in pounds sterling and tracked UK dispatch.\u003c\/strong\u003e UK delivery from us is free and tracked on every order, with no minimum spend, and usually arrives 2-3 working days after dispatch; orders placed before 2pm Monday to Friday are processed the same working day.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA clear returns policy.\u003c\/strong\u003e Unopened items can be returned to us within 30 days.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrand on this page: \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/collections\/brand-free-muscle\"\u003eFree Muscle\u003c\/a\u003e. \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/pages\/lab-tests\"\u003eHow we test\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/blogs\/news\/how-to-read-a-certificate-of-analysis\"\u003ehow to read a certificate of analysis\u003c\/a\u003e explain these checks in more detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eLegal status in the UK\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCreatine is a legal food supplement in the UK, sold under the Food Supplements Regulations and labelled in line with Regulation (EC) No 1924\/2006 on nutrition and health claims (now assimilated law in Great Britain), and this page makes no performance claim for the product it lists. It is not a medicine and is not regulated by the MHRA. Creatine is not on the WADA Prohibited List. For athletes subject to testing, the anti-doping risk with any supplement is contamination with a prohibited substance; a batch certificate of identity and content is not an anti-doping screen, so they should check what their governing body requires. Free Muscle sells to adults aged 18 or over. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eStorage and handling\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeep the pot tightly closed in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and heat. Creatine monohydrate is stable when kept dry, but it degrades to creatinine in solution over time, one reason it is sold as powder or capsules rather than as ready-made drinks. Keep the batch number until the pot is finished, and keep out of the reach of young children.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eDelivery and returns\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFree Muscle is the trading name of FreeMuscle, a business registered in Andorra, with UK operations and dispatch in Scunthorpe. Every order ships with free tracked UK delivery in plain packaging. Orders placed before 2pm Monday to Friday are processed the same working day. EU delivery takes 3 to 7 working days. Unopened items can be returned within 30 days. Customers must be 18 or over. See \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/pages\/shipping\"\u003eshipping\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/pages\/guarantee\"\u003eour guarantee\u003c\/a\u003e for the full terms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eRelated reading\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/blogs\/news\/creatine-and-taurine-evidence\"\u003eCreatine and Taurine: What the Evidence Actually Supports\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/blogs\/blog-en\/how-and-when-to-take-creatine\"\u003eHow and When to Take Creatine\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/blogs\/blog-en\/how-much-protein-to-build-muscle\"\u003eHow Much Protein Do You Need to Build Muscle?\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/blogs\/news\/what-is-janoshik-analytical\"\u003eWhat Is Janoshik Analytical? Third-Party Testing Explained\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/blogs\/news\/how-to-read-a-certificate-of-analysis\"\u003eHow to Read a Certificate of Analysis (COA)\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRelated collections: \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/collections\/pre-workout\"\u003ePre-workout\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/collections\/performance-nutrition\"\u003ePerformance nutrition\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/collections\/brand-free-muscle\"\u003eFree Muscle brand\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCreatine monohydrate is a food supplement for adults, not a medicine, and has not been evaluated by the MHRA, EMA or FDA. This page makes no health claim for the product it lists. Food supplements should not replace a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. You must be 18 or over to order. Nothing on this page is medical advice.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"creatren","title":"CREATREN — Creatine Monohydrate + Taurine, 90 Capsules","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e90 capsules of creatine monohydrate with taurine. The labelled serving is 3 capsules, giving 2,000 mg.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCapsules, so there is nothing to measure or mix. Every batch is assayed by Janoshik Analytical, an independent laboratory we neither own nor control. The batch number is printed on your pot; ask us for that batch's Certificate of Analysis and we will send it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eDirections\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eCREATREN is a food supplement. Follow the daily portion and the directions on the label and do not exceed it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eGood to know\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eSome people see a change on the scale when they start taking creatine; it varies from person to person.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e30-day returns on unopened products: see our \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/pages\/guarantee\"\u003ereturns page\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFree tracked UK delivery on every order. \u003ca href=\"\/en-ro\/pages\/lab-tests\"\u003eSee how we test\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"FreeMuscle","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46946659565794,"sku":"10000002","price":39.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0772\/3499\/5426\/files\/openart-image_9iUyGpOb_1760899876784_raw_1.jpg?v=1766262588"}],"url":"https:\/\/freemuscle.co.uk\/en-ro\/collections\/creatine.oembed","provider":"Free Muscle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}